於2012-07-30發佈

信靠 神,而非政府

正如我上週簡短分享到,在1987年 神讓我看見,在共產主義之軛下的國家越來越享受自由,而那些民主自由的國家卻越來越受綑綁。神讓我看見此和許多其他事物,我都寫在收割異象一書中,這些事不是已經發生,就是即將發生。實際上,幾乎所有在共產主義之下的國家都經歷越來越多的自由,即使有一些才剛起步而已。在美國的我們也以驚人的速度失去自由。

同時,那些在基督裡成長的人會比以前更自由,在聖靈裡自由的人是不可能被奴役的,這即是何以基督教會在一些最受壓制的國家中興盛。照著此趨勢走下去,在受奴役與得自由之間的區別會越來越明顯。正如上週所陳述的,一個主要的區別點在於一方會越來越信任政府,另一方則會越來越信靠主。這必成為每一位信徒的主要焦點。

當我們檢視世上的政府與 神要來國度之間的分歧,讓我們想一想,身為基督徒,若我們對基督沒有盼望,我們就會將所有盼望放在政府上,反而是死路一條。我們絕不能譴責那些視地上政府為所有問題解答的人,但我們必須協助他們看見更大的盼望─那位永遠不會離棄我們或使我們失望的 神。這即是何以美國需要另一次的大覺醒,回到正確軌道上來信靠 神,而不是信靠人,政府回歸成為人民的僕人,而不是讓人民成為政府的僕人。

我們必須看見我們在哪裡,並知道要往何處去,才能設定正確的路線。想一想看:現在有百分之五十以上的美國人,他們的收入來自政府單位,若包括公司的生意是來自政府合約,如國防工業,比率還會更高。倘若全民健保開始實施,比率將達百分之六十。每一個集權政府獲得權力的策略,便是成為滿足人民基本需要的來源。這已在這一世紀蔓延在美國的結構中,最近卻能束縛住美國。

我們要翻轉此趨勢並非不可能,朝此方向前進已一再被證實行不通。那會發生什麼事?溶解,我們正目睹第一個徵兆發生在歐盟,他們的情況只早我們一些而已。當百分之四十的人民收入是來自政府,沒有一個政府能承受得起這樣的經濟。 

在這些政府試圖成為人民的一切前,就會被如此自以為可以的重量壓垮,使國家赤貧。辛巴威便是目前一個很好的例子,它曾和南非一樣強大繁榮,曾是非洲的寶石。現在它的經濟徹底崩盤,基本文明也隨著失去,辛巴威此美麗繁榮的國家已變成非洲的海地。

甚至連英國前首相布萊爾都一直在警告,歐洲若不以『應得權利心態』(entitlement mentality)來統治便無法存活。這番話竟來自英國執政黨工黨的領袖,意義非凡。他說的沒錯,現在幾乎每一位歐洲的領袖都知道此,只不過他們不知道該如何改變路線。

這樣下去會引至啟示錄裡面『獸』的彰顯,此獸來自於屬地的心態,也就是人本主義,完全與屬天的思想,敬拜尋求 神抵觸。此獸不單是馬克斯主義,此邪惡哲學不過是其主要根源之一,它基本上就是人的終極驕傲所彰顯出來的,以為自己最知道怎樣做,對每一個人都好,想要掌控他們,這與尋求 神的指引和幫助完全相反。

正如主在馬太福音十三章解釋,稗子會被捆成捆,或先被收集起來,以便丟在火裡燒了。所有彰顯此邪惡的邪惡哲學與宗教信仰,最後會集結在一起,會來到一個時期,你必須以獸的制度買賣交易,因為他們會有另一個源頭,會在要來的國度中建立另一種經濟制度。此兩種信仰─相信人與相信 神之間的終極碰撞,只會出現很短的時間,正如在以賽亞書六十章1-5節的應許,很快萬國就會看見兩者的不同,並來就光。

(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week 28, 2012)


Faith in God, Not Government - The Path of Life, Part 21
Week 28, 2012 
Rick Joyner 

As I shared briefly last week, in 1987 I was shown the nations that were then under the yoke of communism would enjoy increasing liberty, and the nations that had known freedom and democracy would be brought into increasing bondage. I was shown this and many other things that I recorded in my book, The Harvest, which have taken place or are now unfolding. Virtually all of the nations that were then under communism have been experiencing increasing liberty, even if it has been coming in fits and starts. We have also been losing our liberty at an alarming pace.

At the same time, those who are growing in Christ will become freer than ever. It is impossible to enslave those who are free in the Spirit. This is why Christianity has thrived in some of the most oppressed nations. The demarcation between those who are slaves and those who are free will become more striking as this trend continues. As stated last week, one of the major demarcation points is between those who are putting more of their trust in government and those who are growing in faith in the Lord. This must become a major focus for every believer.

As we examine this divergence between the governments of this world and the coming kingdom of God, let us consider as Christians that if we did not have our hope in Christ, then we too would put all of our hope in government. There is just nowhere else to go. We must not condemn those who see the governments of this world as the answer to all of the problems, but we must help them see the greater Hope—the One that will never leave us or disappoint us. This is why another Great Awakening is necessary for America to get back on the right track of putting our trust in God, not men, and returning the government to a servant of the people rather than making the people into servants of the government.

We must see where we are and know where we’re going in order to set the right course. Consider this: America is now approaching the point where over 50 percent of all Americans receive their income from some level of government. If you include employees of companies whose business is mostly government contracts, such as the defense industry, this number is even higher. If the Health Care Bill is implemented, this will approach 60 percent. Becoming the source of meeting the basic needs of people has been the strategy of gaining power by every totalitarian government. This has been creeping into the fabric of America for nearly a century, but recently it has been able to get a stranglehold on America.

We are not far from the place where it will not be possible to reverse this trend, and to keep moving in this direction has been proven over and over to be unsustainable. So what happens? The meltdown, just as we are seeing the first signs in the European Union, which is just a little ahead of us in this plight. Never has a government been able to sustain an economy when even 40 percent of the population receives their income from the government.  

Before these governments that try to be all things to all people collapse under the weight of such presumption, they impoverish the nation where they tried this. A good present example is Zimbabwe. At one time, it was as strong and prosperous as South Africa and a jewel of Africa. Now its economy has completely collapsed as has its basic civilization. This beautiful, prosperous nation has become an African Haiti.

Even Tony Blair, the recent Prime Minister of Great Britain, has been warning that Europe cannot survive if it does not reign in its “entitlement mentality.” This is remarkable coming from the leader of the liberal, Labor Party, which is the big government party in that country. He is right, and now virtually every European leader knows it, but they don’t know how to reverse course. 

This is all leading to the manifestation of “the beast” in the Book of Revelation. This beast is the result of earthly mindedness, which is humanism, as opposed to heavenly mindedness and the worship and seeking of God. This beast is more than just Marxism, but this evil philosophy is one of the main roots of it. It is basically the ultimate pride of man manifesting what he thinks he knows is best for everyone else and seeks to control them, as opposed to looking to God for guidance and help.

As the Lord explained in Matthew 24, the tares will be bundled together, or gathered together first, so that they can be cast into the fire. All of the evil philosophies and religious beliefs that manifest this evil will join in the end, and there will be a time when you will have to submit to this beast in order to buy, sell, or trade. However, true Christians will not need to buy, sell, or trade in the system of the beast because they will have another Source and will have built another economy on the coming kingdom. The ultimate clash between these two basic faiths, faith in man or faith in God, will only last a short time before the nations see the difference and come to the light just as we are promised in Isaiah 60:1-5.